Rescue Me
by brezo-1816
Summary: ...but who will rescue the rescuers? Set six months after the movie. Please review.
1. Instinct

Disclaimer - If Thunderbirds was mine then the movie would have actually been about the **Thunderbirds** instead of three kids. But as you can see that isn't the case sighs

Author note - I was reading a lot of Thunderbirds fanfics on this site and was inspired to write this. It's set sixth months after the movie. Thunderbird 5 has been repaired. In the movie I loved the line "...but who will rescue the rescuers?" so my fic is based on that. But I'm not going to give the whole story away right now **:-)** Please read and review!

Extra a/n - it's focused on the five boys as a team but particularly Scott because he's my favourite thunderbird!

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Nothing about this seemed right. The keen instinct at the back of his mind kept telling him that this was too sudden and unusual to be a natural occurrence. The landslide had already destroyed some buildings and had left others in very unstable conditions. The local fire and rescue services had managed to get some out but many people were still trapped inside, having been caught completely unprepared. 

"Ok, I've arrived at the danger zone but I'm struggling to find a good place to land: the landscape is a complete mess" Scott reported through his communicator "Virgil, what's your ETA?" he asked his younger brother.

"Seventeen minutes" the Thunderbird 2 pilot immediately replied "how bad is it?" Virgil knew without even arriving yet that the sheer force of the landslide would be devastating.

"It's bad, some small buildings have already been completely destroyed and many of the larger ones have suffered severe structural damage" he quickly relayed his assessment of the situation "I've contacted the guy organising the rescue services - he says they need help evacuating people from the upper levels and there are still a few people left unaccounted for in the underground levels" Scott knew this would be their biggest mission since Thunderbird 5 was attacked six months ago. He just hoped his brothers were up to it.

"What's the plan?" Virgil asked after a few moments.

"I don't know yet" Scott admitted "I'm gonna try and find somewhere to land and then hopefully set up Mobile Control"

"FAB" Virgil closed the line. Scott still couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong. He felt eyes watching him but he had no idea where from.

"John?" he opened a new line of contact with his brother up on the newly rebuilt Thunderbird 5.

"Yeah Scott? How's the situation down there?" the second eldest immediately responded.

"Not good, listen, can you tell me anything about what caused the landslide? Was it erosion? Or lightning strike?" John immediately began checking his various computers and recording systems on the satellite. Scott gave him a little while to check it out while he unloaded his Mobile Control unit. He looked up and could see Thunderbird 2 steadily approaching in the distance. He wasn't sure why but, seeing the great machine, he felt overwhelmingly protective of his three youngest brothers.

"Scott?" he lifted his communicator.

"John, what did you find?"

"Well, geographical tests and reviews were carried out in the area over the last few weeks and none of them suggest erosion could have caused the landslide, also I checked out the local weather reports and turns out it couldn't have been lightning either" Scott could hear the concern in his brother's voice.

"What are you thinking?" he had to ask him loudly over the noise of Thunderbird 2 landing.

"I don't think the cause of the landslide was natural but I'm not exactly sure what else it was either" he replied slowly.

"You think someone did this?"

"Possibly…but I can't confirm that yet" John quickly added "Scott, I know you guys always are but…especially this time…be careful"

"FAB" Scott confirmed and closed the line before the others reached him. Virgil immediately saw the concern on his eldest brother's face.

"Scott? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just think we should be extra careful today" he was speaking to them all but facing Virgil "I spoke to John and he says he can't confirm what caused the landslide, only that it wasn't weather or erosion" Gordon and Alan looked slightly confused but Virgil nodded.

"Ok, it's gonna take all of us to do this, we'll split into two teams: Gordon and Alan, you'll take the Thunderizer and help the rescue services evacuate the upper levels of the stable buildings" he didn't say it but he wanted to keep them out of harm's way and knew the two youngest would look out for each other "Virgil and I will take the Mole down to the underground levels of the other buildings to see if there are any people left down there" They all nodded their agreement and headed to the two vehicles. Gordon and Alan set off first towards one of the large buildings while the other two took the Mole to open ground where they could start digging. Soon the huge drill had started and was slowly but steadily making its way through the surface. Once they had broken through and were on their way down Virgil turned to face Scott.

"Scott, tell me what's wrong, you've seemed on edge since you got here" Knowing that there was no point in trying to hide his fears from the brother he was closest to, he turned to face him.

"I don't know…I just…feel like something's wrong, like this shouldn't be happening" he looked up at Virgil and was relieved to find understanding in his face. If it was Gordon or Alan they would have shrugged it off as him being too paranoid but Virgil wasn't like that. He had great belief in his older brother and knew that his instincts were usually right on target.

You still want to do this?" Scott nodded "ok, we'll be hitting the basement section in twenty seconds and so far I haven't detected anyone down here but for some reason there are some areas the computer can't scan"

"Can't scan?" Scott felt his concern grow.

"Yeah, I don't know why but if there's any people left down here then that's the only place they could be" Scott felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Something was wrong. Something was _very_ wrong. But he knew he couldn't risk leaving people down here. Although did he want to risk Virgil's safety either?

As soon as the Mole stopped they headed out into a hallway filled with darkness that was immediately warned back by the light from their torches. They didn't find anyone in the main areas and strangely it seemed as if they're had never been people down here. Scott instinctively checked the door that lead to the upper levels: locked. But then why did the rescue supervisor tell them that there were people down here?

Scott felt the eyes on him again. His head told him to follow his instincts. So he did.

"Virg…get back to the Mole" he whispered to his brother "there's something wrong, I don't know what but we need to get out of here, quick" Virgil didn't question his brother's judgement and immediately started heading back to the drill that had got them in there. But suddenly a deafening crash behind them stopped him dead in his tracks.

They spun round and saw four men. Four very well built men dressed completely in black who obviously weren't there to be rescued. One of them had a gun strapped to his belt. Scott knew he had to get Virgil out of there…fast!

He whispered so that only his brother could hear him "Virgil, when I say 'go' you run to the Mole and get the hell out of here! Don't stop, don't look back and don't worry about me, just run!" Virgil looked at his brother like he was about to argue but one look from Scott told him that he was dead serious and would not back down. Both took a deep breath and Virgil waited for the signal to run, which came swiftly.

"GO!" Virgil turned and ran. The four men moved to stop him but Scott desperately held them back. Virgil did as his brother said. He didn't stop, he didn't look back, he just ran. But when he finally reached the Mole his heart seemed to shatter at the sound of a gunshot.

"SCOTT!!!"

"Run Virgil! Get out of here!" his brother yelled back, pain evident in his voice. Virgil reluctantly boarded the craft and retreated, all the while telling himself that…somehow…his big brother would be ok………

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**Good start? Bad start? Let me know... ;-) More coming soon!...(probably within a couple of hours because I have no coursework to do tonight!)...**


	2. Guilt and Reassurance

Disclaimer - see chapter 1

Thank you to everyone who reviewed!

Megz McGizzle - Nothing wrong with making sure - enjoy!

shadowwolf919 - I don't like deathfics that much either and Scott is my favourtie so don't worry. Thanks for the review.

criminally charmed - thanks for the review, here's the update.

Sorceress-Phoenix - I'm so happy that you liked it that much. I hope you enjoy the rest too!

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Guilt gripped Virgil with an icy cold hand. What would he do when he reached the surface? How could he possibly look Gordon and Alan in the eyes knowing that he had left their older brother behind? And what about Dad? Could he ever forgive him for leaving his eldest son in the hands of enemies? _No, get a grip _He told himself _Think of what Scott would want you to do_ Virgil breathed out slowly and gently, dropping his shoulders and tried to find a sense of calm that would help him think.

He had to get the other two out. Whoever those men were they were after all of them. They had caused this. They had been waiting for them. Virgil almost smirked. Yet again, Scott's instincts were right. He had known something was wrong. Virgil had suspected he knew there was something dangerous going on when he sent the two youngest off somewhere safe when they could have been better use where he and Scott were. He now realised how lucky they were that Gordon and Alan had gone without argument. If the four of them were down there at once he knew the guy with the gun would have started shooting without delay if they had tried to escape.

Scott had thought all of this through. Virgil knew that he and the others didn't appreciate as much as they should how good a leader Scott was. _And now he could be dying because he didn't think of himself, only about me getting out of there alive_ Virgil felt suddenly overwhelmed with love for his big brother, a love that had always been there but he didn't think he'd ever properly expressed.

As soon has he was roughly forty seconds away from the surface he contacted Gordon. The second youngest responded immediately.

"What's up Virg?"

"Is Alan with you?" Virgil asked urgently.

"Yeah he is…what's going on?" Gordon noted the urgency in Virgil's usually calm voice.

"I don't have time to explain now but you get back to Thunderbird 2 and get ready to leave, tell Alan he's taking Thunderbird 1 back to base and both of you hurry!" Virgil was now just reaching the surface.

"Alan? But what about Scott? – " Gordon questioned but Virgil furiously cut him off.

"Gordon I said I don't have time to explain! Just do it!" he cut off the communication link and began to drive the Mole back to Thunderbird 2. The guys from the basement wouldn't take long to get to the surface and he knew Scott would never forgive him if he hadn't got the two others out of danger by then. Besides, if this entire incident was a trap, then he doubted it was just the four guys out to get them and Virgil guessed that Scott was thinking that too. They had to get out of there. He didn't want to leave Scott behind but he knew that his big brother expected and wanted him to. He just prayed that the brave and selfless leader of the Tracey boys would be alright.

……………………………………………

"Ok Virgil, tell me what's going on right now!" Gordon sat on the co-pilot seat next to his older brother. Suddenly ordering them to return from a disaster zone where people needed their help was one thing but leaving Scott behind in a situation where it was apparently too dangerous for the rest of them to stay was another. He glared at his brother with a mixture of anger, fear, confusion and frustration until Virgil finally answered him. Gordon was shocked to see Virgil on the brink of tears while desperately trying to keep his voice steady.

"We dug down into one of the basements where the supervisor said there were still people unaccounted for" he began, trying to stay calm "but when we got down there Scott could tell there was something wrong…he found the door to the upper levels completely locked…he told me to get back to the Mole but before I could four muscled men appeared…watching us………one of them had a gun" Gordon swallowed, his nerves nearly getting the better of him.

"Scott whispered to me to run as soon as he gave the signal…he insisted "don't stop, don't look back, just run" I wanted to tell him to come too but there was a look in his eyes…almost as if he suspected what was going to happen……so when he gave the signal…I ran" he could hear his voice breaking and knew there was nothing he could do to stop it "when I reached the Mole there was a gunshot…I called out his name but he yelled back for me to get out………I left him there…I didn't think…I…just……" he stopped and realised Gordon had put his arm firmly around his shoulders. Relief and gratitude briefly lifted Virgil with this small action that showed Gordon didn't blame him. And the younger brother made sure Virgil knew that.

"It wasn't your fault" he said firmly "Scott was doing what he always does best – looking after everyone but himself" Virgil sighed and put a reassuring hand on Gordon's arm, unsure whether it was to comfort his brother or himself.

"Ok, so what are we gonna do then?" Alan's voice startled them both and Gordon smirked. The youngest of the Tracey boys had been listening the whole time.

"Parker's got nothing on you, sprout" he teased his youngest brother, momentarily lifting the mood. Virgil answered his question.

"We're gonna get back to base, tell Dad and John what's happened and then……well…I don't know…we'll see what Dad thinks" Virgil tried to hide the nerves he felt about facing their father. He didn't think he would blame Virgil for what happened but that didn't stop him from feeling guilty.

………………………………………………………………

Jeff Tracey's heart sank as Virgil told himself, Brains and John what had happened. He looked at Brains who, as usual, was lost for words and then John. Jeff felt a stab of pain when he saw a deep look of hurt and guilt on his son's face.

"John, this wasn't your fault" he turned to face Virgil "and it wasn't yours either Virgil, all four of you acted the way I would expect you to in this situation, especially Scott"

"But I should have figured it out before they went in there Dad" John began "the geographical reports, the weather forecasts…they just didn't match up with the landslide and I should have seen that" To Jeff's surprise, Brains was the one who reassured John.

"Given the err sit-sit-sit-circumstances I don't believe that anyone could have st-st-st-prevented this from happening" he said quite confidently for him. Jeff smiled at his friend's positive reassurance and was relieved to see that some of the guilt had left John's face.

"Brains, is there anyway we can locate Scott?" he asked, taking on a serious tone.

"I err have confirmed that he is not at the landslide sight anymore and I'm doing an in-in-in-global scan for his exact location" Brains told him before returning to work. Jeff looked around at his boys and, despite them trying to hide it, he could see fear in their eyes.

"What are we gonna do, Dad?" Alan asked him in a quiet and nervous voice.

"I don't know yet son" he replied honestly "but we will do something…I promise you – we **will** do something"

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Scott's eyes opened slowly and painfully and he took a look around the dimly lit room he had found himself in. He was alone. Whether that was good or bad he didn't know. As he closed his eyes again the memories of what happened flooded back into his mind. _Virgil?! Did he make it out? Did he get to the others in time?_ Scott tried to stand up but the consequence was a shot of excruciating pain through his left leg. It was bandaged. Not bandaged well but at least bandaged. He remembered the gun, the pain, the terrified sound of Virgil's voice and it all suddenly going black. He looked around again. The room was completely empty. A single window about the size of a shoebox gave the room a tiny glimpse of the outside world. The only door to the room was at the opposite end and considering Scott couldn't even stand right now it was probably safe to say he wasn't going to reach it anytime soon.

This was bad. Scott had been in dangerous situations like this before, the last time being only six months ago. That experience had taught him to not give up even when the situation was dire and to stay strong for his brothers. He knew they wouldn't leave him here but saying that, he didn't even know where 'here' was.

His thoughts were interrupted by the door opening. He watched his captor move towards him and as soon as Scott saw the look in his eyes he knew that his brothers were in danger. Terrible danger……and there was nothing he could do to warn them……………

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**Who is Scott's mystery captor? (i think we can probably guess...) What does he have planned for the remaining Tracey boys? And is there really nothing that Scott can do? Wait and see! More coming very soon...**


	3. The Cookie Incident'

**Disclaimer - see Chapter. 1**

**Sorry for the wait, I've been really busy with my GCSEs coming up which means the upcoming chapters will probably take a while as well. I will try and fit my writing in between my revising in the next few weeks.**

** - Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Please review this chapter too! - **

**cathrl - I really appreciate your comments. I've tried to improve the punctuation in this chapter and I hope I've done it right this time. Please let me know what you think. Also, I've seen the original series (before I saw the movie) because my dad watched it when he was younger and that's mainly why the movie annoyed me.**

**shadowwolf919 - Sorry about that mistake. I'll put it right in the other chapters.**

**Megz McGizzle and criminally charmed - Thank you both for the reviews.**

**jendarra - I won't completely give away the plot but I will tell you that our favourite Tracy will live to see the end of the story. Thanks for the review.**

**Author note** - I wanted to have John around at some point in the story because I like him a lot. However my story is set six months after the film. Alan seemed to be in his early teens in the film so I figured there was no way he could be working on Thunderbird 5 like he did in the TV series. So I'm afraid the rest of the time John is going to have to stay in space.

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"Ok, we need to think this through." Jeff Tracy paced the room with his sons watching, "Whoever did this obviously has a grudge against International Rescue but that leaves…" He felt the colour drain from his face.

"John." he turned to the video screen but John was already ahead of him and through the video link he could see his son checking several computers. Suddenly he froze.

"Shit." John muttered under his breath but it was still loud enough for everyone to hear. Their hearts skipped a beat. If their usual calm and rational older brother was cursing then it could only mean the worst.

"I'm so stupid! Why didn't I notice this earlier?!" John began checking and re-checking everything he'd read.

"John," Jeff said calmly, "It's ok…when did he escape?"

"Three days ago," John sighed. "I should have noticed it but it hasn't actually been broadcasted yet, twelve other prisoners escaped with him." _How could he possibly have escaped? _John relayed the possibilities over and over in his mind until his youngest brother spoke up.

"His eyes…that power he has…he must have used that to manipulate the prison officers," he looked at his father who nodded, "but how was he able to manipulate the whole prison? He was never strong enough to do that before." Nobody had an answer to that question. They now knew who had kidnapped Scott but still had no idea how to find him…

…………………………………………………………………

"I suppose you're wondering what I'm planning aren't you Scott?" the Hood smirked when the eldest son of his enemy wouldn't look at him. "You know you don't look that much like your father, I suppose you must look more like your mother." Scott was tempted to glare at him but still kept his eyes away.

"Still, you are Jeff Tracy's eldest son…I expect he would take great risks to save you…" he couldn't help smirking again.

"Like walking into a trap?" Scott suggested in a cynical voice. The Hood laughed.

"You catch on quick, boy." he moved across the room so that he was facing Scott. "Maybe I should just get rid of your brothers and spare you…a quick thinking head and keen instinct like yours could be very useful to me." he stood and moved to the door.

"You didn't mention my father!" Scott called back to him. The Hood laughed again and turned to face him.

"The fireplace in my villa is bare and rather boring at the moment…perhaps a candle on each side and your father's head in the centre might make it look more…eye-catching?" He walked out leaving Scott alone again. The thunderbird knew he had to get word to his family somehow. For the first time he looked down at his wrist and saw his communicator……broken. _Well that's just typical, bloody typical!_ He looked around the room for something tiny that he could attempt to fix it with. The only things suitable that he could see were the splinters on the window frame so despite the pain he slowly hauled himself up and staggered across the short distance to the window. He managed to grab a small wooden splinter before his leg painfully gave way and he collapsed to the floor again. The unbearable pain in his leg made his head feel very light and he suddenly found it very difficult to focus. The last things he saw were two large objects coming towards him before everything went black.

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Virgil sat alone in his room. His eyes stared at the blank walls covered by various canvases he'd painted over the last few years. They stopped when they reached one particular canvas. He'd painted it just over a year ago and the memory caused a smile to emerge on his face.

_Virgil sat at the piano. The room was filled with the calm and relaxing sound that was created by his skilled fingertips. Scott walked into the room calmly with a cookie in his hand. Virgil hadn't noticed him so the eldest Tracy boy just leaned against the wall and silently watched his__ younger brother play. It was a love ballad that Virgil knew was one of his older brother's favourites. The song ended sooner than Scott would have liked._

"_That was beautiful, Virg." he told his brother who smiled his thanks. Suddenly a yell of frustration was heard in the kitchen and Scott winced. It was Gordon._

"_SCOTT!!!" the second youngest Tracy charged into the room, saw the now half-eaten cookie in Scott's hand and glared at his brother. Virgil smirked as he predicted what was going to happen. Scott was strong but also smart. He knew that, even though he was older and stronger, when the last of Onaha's special cookies were involved he didn't stand a chance against Gordon. Rather than let Virgil see him being beaten up, Scott ran through to the dining area but Gordon was on his heels. Virgil watched them go with hidden amusement, not daring to intervene. He was about to return to his playing when he heard a growl, a yell and then a loud splash. He left the piano and headed in the direction his two brothers had ran. Just before Virgil reached the dining area Gordon barged past him. Seeing as Scott was nowhere to be seen he assumed Gordon had won. But there was no victory on his younger brother's face and as soon as he reached the pool area he saw why. In the centre of the pool, with the soggy, half-eaten cookie still in his left hand, was Scott. He was soaked from head to toe but it obviously didn't bother him because he was laughing so loud that Virgil knew half the house could hear him._

_Sudden inspiration came to Virgil. He ran to the couch back in the piano room where his sketch pad was. Grabbing several pencils he ran back to the pool area and began sketching (mostly from memory as Scott was now getting out of the pool)._

Eventually the pencil sketch had turned into a watercolour painting and now it hung on Virgil's wall as a constant reminder of that happy memory.

"You ok Virgil?" the middle Tracy turned around and was surprised to see John standing in the doorway.

"John? What are you doing here?" he inquired. John sat down on one of the chairs in the room.

"I needed some time down here and Brains is taking the opportunity to do some tune ups on Thunderbird 5," the second eldest told him, "as soon as he's finished with his adjustments I'll be back up there."

"I'm glad you're here, even if it's only for a little while."

"Yeah, I wish I could stay longer, you guys need all the support you can get." he paused for a moment before continuing, "I know how close you and Scott are and I hate the thought of leaving you here by yourself." Virgil almost smiled. He and John were pretty close too. Not as close as he was to Scott but the second eldest Tracy was there for him as much as he could be and knew that, although everyone else was still here, Virgil would feel lonely without him or Scott around.

"Can't be helped I suppose…but thanks for coming anyway."

"Yeah…so how are you holding up? You looked in space yourself when I opened the door." John asked with a worried look on his face. Virgil saw it and nodded towards the painting. John looked closer at it and smirked.

"Ah, the famous 'Cookie Incident', I remember when Dad told me about that." he chuckled, "Gordon still gets annoyed whenever I remind him." He looked from the painting to Virgil and saw a pained expression on the younger man's face.

"Scott will be okay you know," he reassured him, "he's strong and brave and I'm sure he knows we're looking for him." Virgil nodded and offered a small smile but it didn't match his eyes. John moved to where Virgil was sitting and put a reassuring arm around his shoulders which the younger Tracy gratefully relaxed into.

"Thanks John." he whispered as their thoughts went out to their eldest brother who was somewhere out there…waiting to be rescued……….

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**Thanks for reading. Please review and I will update as soon as I can.**


	4. A Brother In Need

Hi guys, sorry I took so long to update, GCSEs are a real pain in the arse when writing is your favourite hobby. I've also started writing a new Thunderbirds fic, 'Not Too Late', which is a romance/drama fic. Please check it out and review.

a/n - Thanks a bunch to my reviewers who I appreciate more than I could ever possibly say. Your interest and encouragement is so uplifting. Please continue to review! Also, thank you so much to the four people who have added this fic to their favourites and to the further eight people who have it on their alerts list. It means so much to me that you like this fic that much.

extra a/n - Sorceress-Phoenix - Isabelle, thank you for your help when I had a very bad case of writer's block. I hope you like reading this chapter as much as I enjoy reading your own various Thunderbirds fics.

Enjoy!

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Scott's eyelids fluttered open. He looked around and saw he was still in the same room. He looked down and saw that the dressings on his leg wound had been changed. Whoever had done it this time had done a much better job. The bandages were clean and tight.

Unfortunately, looking down made him notice his bare wrist. They had taken his communicator and the only chance he had of contacting his family. He couldn't tell if the door was still unlocked but because of lack of food he knew he didn't have the energy to reach it anyway. He had a pretty good guess about what they were going to do with his communicator. He was supposed to protect and look after his younger brothers, now he was going to be used to lure them into a trap.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

A week later Alan sat alone on the beach looking up at the clouds that drifted across the sky. His big brother was out there somewhere and they couldn't do anything to help him. The thought made Alan's young heart sink. Scott had always looked after him. He teased him yes but no matter what trouble Alan got into, Scott was always there to pull him out of it…just like when he had been walking by the cliffs on Tracy Island five years ago…

_He desperately brushed the messy blonde hair out of his bloodied face an__d looked around. The storm had caught Alan by surprise. He knew he had to get back home before it got worse but the edges of the cliffs were unstable due to erosion and the ground had given way underneath him. He didn't know how far he had fallen but he knew that a very thin and unstable ledge was now the only thing that kept him from falling onto the rocks beneath the crashing waves two hundred feet below. His heart thudded in his chest. The rain was now pouring down and, looking up, he couldn't see anything or anyone. He was completely on his own. Unless…he looked down at his watch and flipped open the lid. He wasn't sure if it would work. The transmitter needed a signal and the storm would make it almost impossible._

_Seeing it as his only chance he tried to open a communication line. He guessed that the loud buzzing sound meant he hadn't got through but he called desperately anyway._

"_Dad? Virgil? Gordon? Somebody? Please help me! I can't hold on! I've fallen down the cliff and I've hurt my leg! I can't move! Somebody please help me! ...Scott? Scott please help me! I'm scared; I don't know what to do! My leg hurts so much!" His tears were invisible beneath the rain drops but they were definitely there, "Scott…please! Please come! I'm so scared...I don't wanna die…please Scott…" The sudden stop of the buzzing told him the line had been broken. Nobody had responded. Nobody knew he was there. The tears flowed freely don't his cheeks. He was too frozen with fear to wipe them away._

_Taking a deep breath, Alan tried unsuccessfully not to panic. He looked down at his leg. It was unbelievably painful and he knew he wouldn't be able to move it, which meant that, even if there was a way, he could never get out of this himself. He tried not to look at the rocks below but couldn't help himself. There were so far down. If he fell he would never survive. Panic gripped him again and he pulled himself back. Unfortunately the movement just made the ledge even more unstable. Large chunks fell away and Alan now couldn't risk moving even an inch. He had nothing to hold onto so even the slightest movement would cause him to overbalance and fall. He shut his eyes tightly and cried. He was only ten years old. He didn't want to die like this._

_Despair was just about to clinch him when his eyes snapped open. Had that been a shout? He tried to ignore the sound of the rain and waves and listened again._

"…_Alan?!" His eldest brother's voice rang out and Alan felt so relieved._

"_Scott! I'm down here!"_

"_Alright, hang on buddy, it's gonna be ok!" His brother yelled down to him and, because it was him, Alan believed every word. His big brother was here now, everything would be ok._

_A rope dropped down the cliff face next to him and he could faintly hear the sound of someone absailing down it. In an instant Scott was beside him, checking his head, his leg and just about all of him for injuries._

"_Virgil and Gordon have got a hard job ahead, there's no way you can climb back up with that leg," He made a series of short, sharp tugs on the rope which Alan assumed was some sort of code, "Ok, the other are gonna pull us up, you're gonna have to hang on to my front, I don't want you on my back in case you fall…quick!" Alan saw Scott looking down at the ledge and looked down himself. A large crack was forming right between their feet. Alan put his arms around his big brother's shoulders while Scott wrapped his arms around Alan's waist. One strong tug on the rope signalled that they were ready._

"_Hold on!" Scott told him and after a few seconds they were being hoisted away. Alan gripped onto Scott as if it was him and not the rope that was the lifeline. In response Scott held his youngest brother as tightly as he could. As soon as they reached the top two pairs of arms were hauling them away from the cliff edge and out of danger._

_Alan grabbed at the grass beneath his hands and only then noticed that the rain had stopped. The tears continued falling, unhidden from his brothers._

_Before he knew what was happening Scott had wrapped him in a warm and loving hug. Alan relaxed into his brother's arms and let out all the fear and despair he had felt of that ledge._

"_I'm sorry! I didn't mean to fall, the storm came so suddenly, I didn't know what was happening, I'm so sorry!" He pulled back slightly and was shocked to see tears in Scott's eyes._

_In the background they could hear Virgil calmly reassuring their Dad who was demanding to know why they had suddenly run off in the middle of the storm._

"_What's wrong?" He asked his nineteen year old brother. Scott smiled slightly. _

"_Nothing kiddo, you just scared me that's all…when I heard your panicking voice on the radio I knew something was wrong and I was……I thought I might lose you." Scott admitted. At that moment Alan felt an overwhelming swell of love for his teasing and sarcastic older brother. He hugged Scott tightly while resting his head on the older boy's chest._

_With soft smiles on their faces, Gordon and Virgil stood back and silently guarded their youngest and eldest brother until they were ready to leave._

Alan looked up at the cliff that had nearly claimed his life that day. He hadn't been up there since it happened and he never wanted to go up there again. But the sight of the cliff face served as a constant reminder that his brother had come to save him. That Scott hadn't left him alone.

The memory gave silent comfort to Alan. He stood up and walked back towards the house with renewed faith that Scott would be alright.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

In the corner of his eye, John noticed the tiny, blue dot that had suddenly appeared on the world map. Not believing what he was seeing he turned to face the weak, almost undetectable signal and stared at it for nearly a minute. A week earlier and he would have reacted like lightening…but now he had to stare at it to make sure it was true. That signal could mean that Scott was alive. After John had heard about the gunshot he had automatically feared the worst for his older brother. And now, there it was. The blue distress beacon from Scott's communicator.

Breaking out of his momentary trance John quickly opened a radio link.

"Thunderbird 5 to Tracy Island"…

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Are you sure John?" Jeff was ecstatic at the news but wary of heading straight to the place where the signal was coming from.

"I know it seems strange, but that is definitely where the signal is, the same place that he was last seen." John knew his father was reluctant and he couldn't honestly say that he didn't feel the same. It all seemed too convenient.

"What do you think we should do? I mean, we can't deny that that's Scott's signal…but is it too risky?" John asked his father. Jeff's forehead creased in thought, which was suddenly interrupted.

"You've found Scott?!" Jeff spun around to see Virgil staring up at his brother, silently demanding an answer. John looked at Jeff and he nodded.

"We've received a weak signal from Scott's communicator…in the same place you last saw him…" John explained. The hesitation in his voice did nothing to deter Virgil.

"Then let's go!" The middle brother insisted, surprising Jeff and John with his volume and impatience, "You can send us the coordinates when we're in the air." He moved towards his portrait.

"Hold it Virgil! You can't just run in there, what if it's a trap?" Jeff reasoned and John nodded.

"Dad's right Virg, it's very risky…"

"We can't just do nothing! If there's even the smallest chance that Scott's there then we have to go!" Virgil pleaded, "Besides, even if it's just his communicator, International Rescue equipment is a security risk if found by the wrong person." Jeff couldn't argue with that logic and one look at his second-eldest son told him that he agreed. He gave his son a quick nod. Virgil was out of the room in a flash and back two minutes later dragging a surprised and confused pair of younger brothers. Alan and Gordon broke away and moved to their own portraits on case Virgil dragged them into his and they all headed for Thunderbird 2's silo.

"Thunderbirds are go…" Jeff muttered, the worry evident in his voice…

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**Uh-oh! Are the three brothers heading straight into a trap? ...hmmm...probably ;-) Who will save them from the cold clutches of the Hood? Chapter 5 coming soon...**


	5. Feeling Helpless

Sorry for the wait. I've had such bad writer's block for this story it's not even funny. Thank you to everyone who's reviewed. I'm so flattered, this fic has had over 1500 hits!

I hope my other fic 'Not Too Late' does that well. Please check that out for me.

criminally charmed, shadowwolf919, Megz McGizzle, bluesweetie1978, ryoandasuka4ever, hardyboyfansrock - Thank you so much for reviewing chapter 4.

Please review this chapter! Enjoy!

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John Tracy sat alone on Thunderbird 5. His three younger brothers had taken off fifteen minutes ago and were headed to the place where they had last seen their eldest brother. Was it a trap? Was it a dead end? John didn't know and not knowing was tearing him apart. He wished he was down on Earth, going with them, doing **something** other than just sitting around worrying.

Unable to help himself he opened a video link.

"Thunderbird 5 to Thunderbird 2, what's your E.T.A?" He asked urgently.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Eleven and a half minutes…" Virgil replied in an annoyed tone, "John, find something to do, that's the fourth time you've called in ten minutes and it's driving me crazy." John looked hurt and Virgil immediately felt guilty.

"John, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap, its just……I left him there…and I need to get him back now." Virgil admitted quietly, glad that Gordon and Alan were in the dorm bay suiting up.

"What happened wasn't your fault Virg." John told him.

"I know…but I keep thinking that if I had done something differently-"

"Then Scott wouldn't have been captured? I know, I feel that way too, if I had checked that the Hood was still behind bars then I could have warned you guys…" John suggested sadly.

"But it wasn't-……I guess we've both been blaming ourselves a little too much…I just need to find Scott now, to know that he's ok…" John said nothing but nodded his agreement.

"…good luck…let me know when you land."

"FAB, thanks John." Virgil smiled sadly and closed the link just as Gordon and Alan came back in.

"Was that John again?" Gordon groaned.

"He's just looking out for us, that's all." Virgil immediately defended his older brother. Gordon held back a smirk and sat down. Alan sat down silently. Gordon looked at his youngest brother and waited a few moments before speaking.

"He'll be ok Sprout." Gordon told him, not sure that he wasn't trying to reassure himself too. Alan smiled weakly and nodded.

"I know Scott will be ok, I was just thinking about how I don't appreciate him as much as I should, I mean, think of all the times he's been there for us when we've needed, I've lost count." Alan smiled softly, again thinking about that time of the cliff.

"That's why we've got to be there for him now, when **he** needs **us**." Virgil agreed. Gordon nodded and checked their E.T.A.

Four minutes…

…………………………………………………………………………………………………...

He had to do **something**.

Scott had always protected his younger brothers, no matter what trouble they got themselves into. What kind of big brother would he be if he let them down now?

Gritting his teeth against the pain, Scott hauled himself up into a sitting position. Lucky for him his captors hadn't moved him away from the window, so he used the ledge to pull himself up. The swelling around his leg was so painful he almost fainted again but he slapped his face hard to stay awake.

Scott limped over to the door and eventually collapsed beside it in agony. Try desperately to ignore the pain, he closed his eyes and listened…

…………………………………………………………………………………………………...

Thunderbird 2 landed a short distance away from the abandoned building.

"We're here John, is the signal still in the same place?" Virgil asked his older brother while Gordon and Alan left the cabin.

"Yeah it's still there, Virgil…I really hope it's him." John replied quietly.

"…me too." Virgil whispered before closing the link and following the other two out of Thunderbird 2.

The three of them trudged down towards the tunnel made by the Mole over a week ago. Stepping into the gloomy darkness with only a pair of torches, they all secretly swore they could hear each other's heartbeats thudding in their chests.

Without any sign of Scott they travelled further into the basement. But Virgil suddenly stopped.

It was that feeling again. The dread that he felt when he had first come down here with Scott, it was there again.

"Gordon, Alan…get back outside and contact Lady Penelope." He ordered them quietly, while his eyes shot around every corner of the area.

"Why?" Gordon queried, confused by his brother's sudden order.

"Scott's not here, don't ask me how I know…I just know," Virgil explained quickly, "Something's not right, contact Lady P and ask her to continuing searching in the area, if I'm not out in two minutes then get back into Thunderbird 2 and head back to base without me…go!" Gordon nodded to Alan, who ran back outside, clutching his wrist communicator.

Virgil waited for Gordon to move but he didn't. Touched by his mischievous brother's actions, Virgil nodded his thanks and they continued towards the back of the room. Even if Scott wasn't there, and Virgil was sure he wasn't, they still had to get that communicator.

Once they reached the same spot that Virgil had stopped at last time the dread became a reality.

_Shit_

Virgil cursed under his breath but didn't have enough time to do anything before they were surrounded by the same men that had challenged Scott and Virgil before.

"Gordon-"

"I'm not leaving you!" The second youngest hissed. Virgil knew there would be no arguing with him. And there would certainly be no arguing with these guys. One of them was carrying a gun. One wrong word and a brother could be shot and neither of them wanted that.

Virgil and Gordon heard someone moving behind them but couldn't turn around before sharp blows to the head sent their worlds black.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………...

One and a half minutes.

_C'mon guys!_

Alan waited near the entrance to the tunnel for his brothers to come out but they never did. He spun around when he heard movement in the bushes behind him. Before he could run two well-built men had stepped out in front of him and another two at his back. The tallest one stepped forward and punched Alan square in the temple. The youngest Tracy was knocked off his feet and fell to the floor. He tried to focus his vision but the impact of the punch had sent him into a daze. He vaguely felt one man on each side of him lift him up and carry him towards the tunnel.

When they reached the end of the basement he was thrown to the ground in what he could barely tell as a cage.

"Alan!" He heard Virgil's voice behind him and turned around to see Virgil sitting up against a wall, his wrists tied together. Panic gripped him when he saw Gordon slumped on the ground against the wall, obviously out cold, with a small wound on his temple. Alan crawled towards his brothers and Virgil wrapped his arms around his youngest brother.

"Are you alright Sprout? Did they hurt you?" He asked quietly.

"Just a black eye but I'll be ok…I did what you told me to." Alan added in a whisper and looked up at his middle brother.

"Good man." Virgil smiled at him. He let Alan crawl over to Gordon and hold the second youngest close to him. Though he was trying to hide it Virgil could see the glisten of tears in Alan's eyes. He was scared. Virgil was scared too. He needed Scott. He needed his big brother.

_Scott_

…………………………………………………………………………………………………...

Scott's eyes flew open. He could have sworn he just heard Virgil's voice. The strange aching in his heart seemed to tell him that his brothers were in trouble.

Regardless, he smiled in satisfaction at what he had learned just by listening to the voices passing by. The Hood had gone back to the basement and had taken most of his men with him. He would use the three boys' watches to send out distress signals and soon it wouldn't be long before Jeff, John and everyone came to the rescue. Soon he would have the whole of International Rescue in his trap.

Well, Scott had no intention of letting that happen. Judging by the distant beeping noise he guessed that the computer room was at the end of the corridor. He pulled himself up and used a splinter from the doorframe to lift the latch on the other side of the door. Once the door was open he used the walls of the corridor for support and made his way towards the computer room.

Surprised to find there were no guards inside, Scott staggered over to the console and opened a random communication link…

…………………………………………………………………………………………………...

"Scott! Where are you? What's happened? Why are the other three answering my calls?" John was overjoyed to hear his older brother's voice and started asking a thousand questions. Scott sighed with a smile and began to reply.

"Hello John, 1. You'll have to track this link and figure out where I am, 2. I don't have time to explain what's happened and 3. The other three have been captured by the Hood, I think I can get them out but I'm gonna need help, call Lady P and give her the coordinates for my position."

"I'm doing that now Scott……actually she's already in the area…" John checked the map again, puzzled as to why Lady P was there.

"What? How? Why?" Scott was just as puzzled as John.

"I don't know, you'll have to ask her, I've sent her the coordinates and she's on her way, she should be with you in about ten minutes, now cut this line before they find out."

"FAB John, oh and one more thing, keep Dad on the island, I don't care if you have to get Brains to disable Thunderbird 3 or even if he has to tie Dad to his office chair, just don't let him leave the island, it's what the Hood wants."

"Ok Scott, good luck." John was curious as to how Scott knew all this but didn't question him further. Scott cut the line and John was left isolated from the action…again.

* * *

Can Scott beat the Hood? Will John be able to take the suspense?...**Will I**? Cause this fic is driving me crazy! Please review! ;-) 


	6. Connection

Hello, I'm back again. This chapter was inspired by one of my favourite Thunderbirds fic that I first read a while ago. It's called 'Brothers In Arms' and it's written by Purupuss (if you haven't read it then do so because it is a brilliant story). Those of you who have read it will notice the similarities in this chapter and how it inspired me.

criminally charmed - Yes its time to kick butt but I'm not very good at writing fight scenes so I hope what I've written is good enough.

ryoandasuka4ever - Sorry there won't be any romance in this fic but if you do like romance then please check out my Thunderbirds romance fic 'Not Too Late'.

shadowwolf919 - This update took just over 24 hours I think, that good enough? Lol. Thank you so much for your wonderful review. Thankfully for me, I think chapter 5 was a milestone that I have now passed because this chapter has been so much easier to write. I hope you like it just as much.

bluesweetie1978 - Thank you so much for the review. I hope you like this chapter.

Okay...it is currently 02:49AM in Britain where I am but I really wanted to finish and post this chapter. That's how much I love my reviewers (hint, hint, lol). Please review this chapter. I hope you enjoy it!

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Alan's eyes fluttered open. The little amount of sleep he'd had did nothing to calm him. His hands were trembling and…not holding anything. His eyes darted around the cage until they found Gordon, sat towards the corner of the cage, muttering to Virgil. The second youngest caught Alan's eye and smiled gently.

"How you doing Sprout?" Gordon spoke softly. Alan smiled back but the smile didn't reach his eyes. Gordon looked at his face and frowned.

"You're hurt." He said in a worried voice as he crawled over to his younger brother. Alan shrugged off his concern.

"It's just a bruise, I'll be fine…what about you? You were still out cold when I fell asleep." Gordon smiled at Alan's concern.

"Yeah, I hit my head on the wall when they threw us in here, I'm okay." Alan looked at Virgil and the middle Tracy nodded. He seemed okay too, although his arm was obviously hurt and he was clutching his leg rather strangely. It didn't look like it was hurt and yet Virgil held it as if it were in great pain. He had been holding it lightly before but now it seemed much worse. Before Alan could ask him about it his own feeling of dread suddenly grew. He knew there were four muscled men outside the cage, one on each side. But his feeling of dread was caused by owner of the voice that shattered the silence of the room.

"Hello Alan." The voice sent a cold and silent scream down Alan's spine. He felt Gordon tense next to him.

"It's been a while…but only a short while," The Hood smirked at them, "I was disappointed in you boys, your brother put up more of a fight than you three did…of course, he can't fight any more…" Panic suddenly gripped Alan's heart.

"What have you done to Scott?!" Gordon snarled. The Hood laughed as he used his mind power to effectively slap Gordon across the face.

"Let's just say that, as of ten minutes ago, your brother is becoming reacquainted with your beloved mother." The Hood laughed evilly. Alan was desperate not to let the tears fall but he was struggling. Gordon was trembling slightly and clenched his hands into fists.

"Liar." Virgil said calmly. Everyone turned to look at him.

"Liar?" The Hood asked him, slightly taken aback but also amused.

"Scott isn't dead, I know he's still alive, you-are-a-liar." Virgil held the Hood's gaze and spoke calmly without fear. The Hood's eyes changed to the red of his rage and Virgil winced in pain, holding his left arm close to him.

"Choose your words carefully Virgil, that arm is fractured already but I could shatter it if I wanted to." Virgil gritted his teeth to stop the cry of pain from escaping. His bones felt like they were being twisted to breaking point. Gordon and Alan didn't dare move towards their brother in case the Hood increased his pain.

"Let me assure you Virgil Tracy, your pointless hope is wasted," The Hood laughed at him, "My three men held your brother down and strangled him, he is dead…I'll leave you with something of his…I have no use for it." The Hood tossed something to Alan, who gasped in shock. Virgil continued to try and hide his pain but he couldn't take much more.

Finally the Hood let go and left the room…but not before adding one last comment.

"I shouldn't bother mourning for your brother, for you will soon be joining him."

Gordon looked at what was in Alan's hand and felt his heart sink. On the palm of his hand lay Scott's USAF Wings (a/n – that medal in the shape of wings that pilots get, I'm not sure what to call it).

"It can't be…" Gordon whispered in disbelief, "…Scott would never let them take this…"

"He wouldn't be able to stop them if he was unconscious," Virgil snapped, "They must have knocked him out and taken it, Scott is still alive, I **know** he is!"

"How do you know?" Gordon looked at his brother curiously.

"I can't explain it, I just…sort of…**feel** it…just trust me, if he was dead I would know."

Gordon nodded hesitantly and Alan didn't meet their gaze at all. He just held the wings close to him and prayed what the Hood said wasn't true.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

_Fourteen minutes earlier_

Scott sat alone in the computer room. He was in agony. His wound had opened up again and the bandages already had a deep red patch on them. Walking was only just bearable.

"Where is he? He's not in his cell!" Scott winced when he heard the angry guards coming towards the room. The door swung open and smashed against the wall. The muscled men began walking towards him.

Scott couldn't defend himself against the three of them and was in no fit state to run…

"Excuse me sir." A familiar voice spoke behind them just as a grey glove tapped the middle guy's right shoulder. He turned around but before he knew what had hit him the poor middle man fell to the floor, completely out cold courtesy of the Parker Haymaker. The man on the right suffered an attack from what Scott could only see as a blur of pink. While one knee to the groin and another perfectly aimed Parker Haymaker finished off the man on the left.

"Oh Scott darling, are you alright?" An amused Scott wasn't sure what to do when the blur of pink came towards him so he just stuttered a reply.

"I-I'm…fine, my leg is a bit sore but apart from that…err…how did you know where to look for me?" He blushed slightly as Penny began checking him for injuries.

"Alan told me that he, Gordon and Virgil needed assistance, he was rather scarce on the details and his manners were quite awful, even for him." Scott would have chuckled if it weren't for the situation.

"I think the Hood has got them." Scott told her glumly and hissed in pain when she touched the bandages on his leg.

"Just a bit sore huh? ...Yes I heard the Hood had escaped, so nice of the authorities to let International Rescue know." She sighed in frustration.

"I know where they are, but he's got a lot of heavies with him, we're gonna need back up." Scott told her as he slowly stood up.

"I fear the police may be a little too unsubtle for this mission so I will arrange some extra man-power for us, a friend of mine owns a personal security company so I asked him to have some of his best fellows on standby," She suggested, "But we'll need at least two hours for them to arrive."

"Two hours isn't great but it'll have to do, let's get out of here." Scott began to move but winced when he put weight on his leg. Parker noticed his trouble and stepped forward.

"Allow me to assist, Master Tracy." Not tolerating the argument he expected, Parker swung Scott's arm over his shoulders and allowed the eldest Tracy son to lean on him for support.

"Thanks Parker." Scott said quietly, surprising Parker with his lack of protest. Penelope followed behind them with a soft smile on her lips.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"WHAT?!" Jeff Tracy's calm and rational mood was now beyond limits, "Stay here?! My four sons are in danger and you want me to STAY HERE?!" He bellowed at the video screen which showed a cringing John Tracy.

"Dad, I know it's a lot to ask of you but Scott specifically said stay on the island." John replied in a quiet voice.

"What right does Scott have to tell me what to do?!" His father seethed. Jeff's eldest son was getting too big for his boots…and was also becoming more and more like him…

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Dad, you're gonna hate me for this but I've asked Brains to hide the guidance processors for Thunderbirds 1 and 3…" John winced and shut his eyes, expecting more shouting. He waited for about twenty seconds and when no shouting came he opened his eyes again. John looked at his father and saw an expression of thought and slight…amusement? Shouting barely half a minute ago and now his Dad found this **funny**?

"Err…Dad?"

"…I'm sorry I yelled, John." Jeff said as he faced the screen again.

"Err…that's okay Dad…why the sudden change of mood?" John wasn't sure if he dared to ask.

"I'm being a little harsh aren't I? …I've always trusted Scott with leading missions over the last few months, why stop now?" Jeff sighed and grimaced slightly, "Much as it pains me to say this, if staying here is what Scott sees as the best course of action then I'll stay put, truth is…he's handling it the way I would have done in his place."

John felt a sudden surge of pride in his big brother. All of the Tracy brothers wanted to be like their father. He was calm, loving, gentle, generous and considerate but also firm, compassionate, brave, strong and fair. The boys held him in the very highest regard. Jeff may not have known it but for him to admit that Scott was acting like his father was a huge compliment to Scott and John was sure his eldest brother would feel very proud when he told him.

"Everything will be alright Dad, Scott will be okay." John said confidently.

"Yeah, I know he will, I just hope Virgil, Gordon and Alan aren't hurt." Jeff replied.

"Alan's hurt?!" A young pair of voices gasped in shock. Both Jeff and John winced.

"Good luck Dad." John smirked before he closed the link. Jeff scowled at the screen after his son's quick escape. He took a deep breath and then turned to face the waiting forms of Fermat and Tintin…

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Scott sat quietly inside of FAB 1, thinking about what had happened earlier in his cell. Was it really Virgil's thoughts that he heard or was he just imagining it? That was weird enough but now he was getting this strange aching pain in his left arm that he couldn't explain either. As if his leg didn't feel bad enough, now his arm felt like it was breaking too. A few minutes ago the pain had been so bad he thought it was going to break, so much so that Parker had had to rummage through Penelope's ridiculous amount of suitcases to find some aspirin. Penelope had just watched Scott in utter confusion, asking again and again if he'd injured his arm earlier. Scott insisted that he hadn't. The pain had only started a short while ago. He hadn't landed on it and yet it felt as though he had.

It would still be another hour before the extra man-power arrived. Scott was worried about Alan and Gordon. Alan was young and, though he wouldn't admit it, so was Gordon. It must be horrible for them to go through this and Scott didn't like waiting while they were stuck in there.

For some strange reason he wasn't as worried about Virgil. Yeah he was worried about his middle brother, but Scott had this strange feeling telling him that Virgil was holding up. He didn't know what this feeling was but Scott could remember when it happened once before…

* * *

**So what is this strange connection between Scott and Virgil and when did it start? And is Scott strong enough to confront the Hood and save his brothers? Next chapter coming very, very soon!...**


	7. Brotherly Bond

Sorry for the wait. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Please review and thank you to everyone who has reviewed already.

ryoandasuka4ever - Thanks for the review, I hope this flashback answers your question but if it doesn't then please PM me and I'll try to explain in more detail.

criminally charmed - I've always seen John as being close to Scott (because of them being the two eldest) and Virgil (because of their similar personalities). In the film he also seems to be closer to Jeff than the other boys are. Thank you for the review and for being patient lol.

montogma - I like the connection too, it's something that I've always seen there but not everybody writes about. Thanks for the review.

Potterwatch - Lol, in terms of the film, I really don't like Alan and because this is a movieverse it is very tempting to kill him...but, because he is your favourite, I will spare him a gruesome fate. Thanks for the review. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

hardyboyfansrock - Thank you for the review. Lol you sound like a five-year-old child on the day before their birthday :-) I'm glad my story has you excited.

bluesweetie1978 - I'm not gonna tell you yet, you'll have to wait for the final chapter. Thanks for the review.

A/N - Ladies and Gentlemen...it pains me to tell you that...the next chapter of Rescue Me will be the **final chapter**. I hope you enjoy the last two chapters. Please review. Thank you all so much.

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_Fifteen-year-old __Scott sat quietly in class, copying down the notes that the teacher had written on the board. Outside he could hear laughing and talking as the two younger years had their lunch break. The eldest Tracy sighed to himself. Virgil and John would be out enjoying the sun right now. His year's lunch break didn't start for another hour._

_Quiet talking was allowed but Scott was lost in his own thoughts. Most of them were about his mum._

_Scott's mother had died a few years ago but she still dominated Scott's mind. Everything he did he thought, what would she think of this?_

_The teachers had been baffled by his sudden extra effort in class and improving grades. Scott hadn't been a bad student before; he had just been…average. Mostly C grades with a few Bs in subjects like Maths and Technology. Scott's main problem had been that he didn't try hard enough._

_Now his grades were mostly As, even an A in Technology _(a/n – is that right in the U.S or do you just call it A+?)_. Scott's brothers had been singing his praises. Even Jeff managed to lift his head out of his paperwork occasionally to congratulate his son. Scott hoped that his mother was proud of him. Virgil and John always assured him that she was._

_**Scott**_

_Scott was suddenly dragged out of his thoughts by someone calling his name. He looked around but no one was looking in his direction. Deciding it was just someone tricking him he turned back to his notes._

_**Scott!**_

_The voice was accompanied by a strange impact in his stomach, almost as if someone had just punched him. He looked around again. Nobody was near him or even looking at him._

_**Scott! Help me!**_

_Scott froze in shock._

"…_Virgil?"_

"_You say something Scott?" His friend, Edward 'Harris' Roberts, asked him but Scott didn't answer. The thumping in his stomach continued. Sometimes he even felt blows to his face. For some reason his nose also began to ache._

_Something was very wrong._

"_Scott…are you okay? You look a bit pale…" Harris began to get worried about his friend when Scott didn't answer again. The young Tracy looked like he was going to be sick._

"_Miss Clarke, something's wrong with Scott!" Harris quickly alerted the teacher at the front of the room. She looked at her star pupil with concern. He didn't look in pain, he looked worried. Worried to the point of sheer terror._

"_Scott…is there somewhere you need to go?" She asked quietly after telling the other students to stop being nosey and continue with their work._

_Scott looked up at her and nodded, silently thanking her for her understanding. She nodded with a gentle smiled, giving him permission to leave the class._

_He got up slowly and silently made his way out of the room. As soon as the door was closed behind him he ran._

_**Scott!**_

_His brother's voice sounded in his head again. He was scared and sounded like he was crying. Scott skidded to a halt, closed his eyes and tried to work out where to go._

_Acting on gut feeling he began running towards the creative arts building._

_Once he reached it he didn't go in. Instead he followed his feeling and went around the back towards the bins._

_What he found on the other side made his blood boil._

_On the floor, curled into a ball, with tears down his bruised face and blood flowing from his nose over his split lip…was Virgil._

_Surrounding him were three boys in John's year, a year above Virgil and two years below Scott. They were kicking him and sneering at him._

"_Enjoying that runt? Maybe that'll teach you to not be so smart…my teacher thinks I need English help from you! A first year! Well, I'm sure she'll change her mind when your grades start to slip, and they are going to slip, aren't they runt?" They were tall and quite strong, no smaller than Scott and towered over Virgil._

_Scott stayed back for a brief moment. He pulled up his sleeves and pressed a hidden button on his watch that sent a signal to John's watch. Once the signal had been sent he stepped forward._

"_Get away from my brother!" He snarled. Virgil saw his brother and his pained face immediately flooded with relief. The three boys spun around. For the briefest moment a look of fear flashed across their faces, but once they remembered he was outnumbered the fear disappeared and was replaced by evil smirks._

"_What are you gonna do Tracy? This little runt has had it coming." Scott clenched his hands into fists and as soon as one of them came running towards him he sent the fist flying. It connected with the boy's jaw and he was sent sprawling across the floor. The other two came at Scott together and no matter how much he tried he couldn't block all their hits. They suffered a few painful hits from him but not enough for him to beat them._

"_Alright, I'm getting bored of this, you two hold him while I finish off the runt." As soon as the words were said Scott instinctively stepped in front of Virgil, blocking the path of his tormentors. They all just smirked and stepped forward._

_But for two of them their smirks immediately turned to shock and panic when they were sprung from behind. They landed on the floor with a smack and were sat on by John and his friend Collin. The two second years had fury in their eyes when they saw what had happened to Virgil._

"_You two are defending this runt? Why bother? He's pathetic!" The last remaining bully spat._

"_NATHAN BENTLEY!" A deep voice behind them roared and the bully immediately went white. Scott showed his own smirk when the Principle, Mr Garret, emerged behind them. John and Collin allowed their captives to stand up straight._

"_You three, my office, NOW!" Nathan quickly obeyed Mr Garret's order, "Scott Tracy, I will need to speak to you too, but I will let you deal with more important matters first." Mr Garret glanced at Virgil and then turned to follow Nathan and his two friends. Scott looked at John._

"_Did you bring him here?" John smiled but didn't nod. Instead he turned to look where the Principle had just walked away from. Watching them silently…was Miss Clarke._

"_Make sure he holds the bridge of his nose, Scott, I would rather he would go to the Nurse's office but if he doesn't want to then you'll have to get some ice to take care of those bruises yourself," She told him while looking worriedly at Virgil, "If his nose is broken then he will have to go to the hospital…now I have to get back to class." She said with an apologetic tone. Virgil obviously didn't like her staring at his awful state so she turned to leave._

"_Miss Clarke?" Scott called to her and she turned back round to look at him, "………thanks." Scott smiled gratefully and her and she smiled back warmly, giving a smile to everyone there, especially Virgil._

"_Collin, I think you should go and find Mr Brookes and Miss Hanson _(a/n – anyone who guesses where I got those names from gets a cookie!)_ and tell them that Scott and Virgil will not be able to attend their classes today." She told Collin who nodded and, after receiving thanks from Scott and John, left to go to the English and Maths departments. Miss Clarke left to go back to the Technology block._

_Scott focused his attention back on Virgil who was now sitting up but in a hunched position with his legs held close to his chest._

"_John, could you please go to the lunch hall and ask for some ice in a bag?" Scott asked quietly. John nodded and left the two in silence. Scott watched his brother, who still had tears running down his cheeks. Guilt gripped Scott inside. He had had no idea his eleven-year-old brother was being bullied, let alone on this scale._

"_I'm sorry Scott," Virgil quietly broke the silence, "I'm sorry for making you miss class." Scott was stunned._

_When Virgil's words had sunk in Scott had to pinch himself so he didn't laugh. He moved over to his middle brother and wrapped him in a gentle hug, aware of his injuries and so avoiding his stomach._

"_You really think I care about that? I was scared for you Virg; I couldn't just sit in class while you were in trouble."_

"_H-How did you know I was in trouble?" Virgil asked shakily. Scott shrugged slightly._

"_This'll sound crazy but I heard your voice…it was almost as if you were calling out to me." Scott thought about Virgil's voice and how it was as clear as if Virgil had been sitting right next to him._

"_I was…" Virgil said almost in a whisper. Scott immediately looked down._

"_You were?"_

"_I know it's stupid……but I thought that if I called your name hard enough in my head, then maybe you would hear it and come to help me…I never thought it would really work." Virgil explained while looking up at his big brother and noticed his split lip. Scott smiled down at him._

"_Well, it definitely worked."_

"_Scott, your lip…" Scott brought his fingers up to his bottom lip and winced when he felt the split._

"_Must have got it when one of them punched me." He shrugged but Virgil just looked confused._

"_No Scott, I saw you before then went towards you, the cut was already there." Virgil insisted. Now Scott was really confused but then he looked down at Virgil again. His brother also had a split lip, in exactly the same place._

"_Virgil…whereabouts did they punch you?" Scott asked slowly._

"_They punched my face a couple of times but it was mostly in the stomach…why?"_

"_No reason…" Scott muttered back as he sat in stunned and confused silence…_

Scott massaged his aching arm. His leg was now in a material cast. It was still painful but at least now he could walk fine without collapsing

"Ready to go, Scott?" Penelope spoke behind him and they stood within sight of the tunnel entrance. Parker was with them, along with the ten muscled body guards that Penelope had arranged. Scott nodded and they headed towards the entrance. Three guards were there waiting for them. One of them spoke into a radio, obviously warning the others that company had arrived.

"Four, two and seven, go." Penelope ordered calmly. Three of her body guards sprang forward and began fighting the three black shirted guards.

The rest of the rescue party moved into the tunnel. Two more guards were met further down and engaged by bodyguards five and six.

At the start of the basement the remaining five guards were waiting for them. Penelope sighed quietly.

"Oh dear, I fear my manicure is not going to survive this occasion but I suppose it can't be helped," She turned to Scott, "I'm afraid you'll have to go on without us Scott, Parker and I shall be needed here, are you sure your leg will be alright?" Scott nodded.

"I'll be alright, I have to go and find them…I'll see you later." He said with a sarcastic sigh. She smiled at him.

"Yes, you all will…go." She said as Parker and her bodyguards began to fight the basement guards. He nodded and watched her go and confront the remaining guard.

Scott turned towards the end of the basement and began to run. His leg ached in protest but he didn't care.

Eventually the fighting in the background became a murmur and the gloom ahead of him shifted. His eyes managed to make out a cage and he ran towards it, knowing his brothers would be in there.

"Virgil?" Scott called out. He could just about make out three figures it grey uniforms sitting in the cage.

"Scott?" The figure on the left stood up and Scott ran towards it.

"Hey boys, you alright?" Scott asked as he reached the cage. Gordon looked tired with a bruise on his temple and Alan looked scared but relieved that Scott was there. Virgil just looked calm, as if he knew Scott would arrive.

"It still works?" The middle brother asked. Scott smiled at him.

"It still works."

"Ah, wonderful, now all I need is your brother John and then your father and then I have the full set." A cold voice said behind them.

Scott took a deep breath and then turned around to face...the Hood…...

* * *

**Sniff 'The end must come'...and it's going to come in the next and final chapter...wipes away tear...please review!**


	8. Author's Note

Author's Note

It's finally finished!

Sorry for the wait. I've been on a narrow boat with my family for two weeks and although it is writer's paradise out there, all the pen and ink means you have a lot of typing to do when you get home.

The last chapter was supposed to be a single five page chapter like the other chapters. But the original written draft finished at thirteen pages, so I've had to split into two parts and an epilogue because I couldn't resist adding a little twist at the end of the second part.

Sorceress-Phoenix – Isabelle, thank you for all your help and encouragement during the writing of this fic.

Thank you to everyone who added me to their favourite stories and alert lists, it's such a compliment to me, thank you so much.

Also thank you so much to all my reviewers. Please keep reviewing, it makes me so happy.

SexyC, cathrl, Jules47, montogma, Digi-Girl101, SkyHighFan and jendarra – Thank you all for your reviews!

hardyboyfansrock, ryoandasuka4ever and blueweetie1978 – it means so much to me that you guys found time to review those last few chapters for me, especially during 3 and 4 cause I had writer's block then and your reviews were real encouragement.

And finally…

Megz McGizzle, Potterwatch and criminally charmed – Thank you for reviewing my chapters ever since day 1. I'm quite new to fanfiction so it's great to have regular reviews for every chapter. I appreciate it so much and this last chapter of Rescue Me is especially for you.

Well, here we go. Thank you all. I hope you enjoy this last chapter as much as I have enjoyed writing it…


	9. Fearless Confrontation Pt1

Part 1

The Hood smirked as Scott turned to face him.

"I must admit, Scott, you've done incredibly well," He almost laughed, "You Tracys have a habit of making a fight of it." The Hood glanced at Alan who avoided his gaze.

"It's over, you have nothing left." Scott said to him. The Hood just smirked again.

"You have no idea boy…this is far from over." He turned back to the cage and his eyes fell on Gordon.

"Prison is a wonderful place, all the pain, anger and hatred, emotions I used to develop my powers even further." He glared at Gordon and the second youngest Tracy winced, bringing his hands to his head. The cage seemed to disappear, his brothers were gone, the Hood was gone and all he could see now was the deadly, dark depths of the fear he had tried to hide for so long…

_Snow……everywhere……cold…heartless…suffocating…snow……no…no, leave me alone! __...get away from me! …it's all around me…I…I can't get out…oh God…Mum it's…it's too strong…it won't let me go…it wants to take me away…it killed my Mum now it's going to kill me…I don't want to die…not like she did……get away…get away from me! ……why won't it leave me alone? ……help me…please……somebody help me………_

"What's happening to him?!" Virgil asked, worried by his brother's sudden shrinking into a corner, face hidden behind his hands.

"Fears and painful memories are powerful things, Virgil Tracy, especially when they're made to seem a reality…"

"It can't be…" Alan whispered. The Hood turned to glare at him.

"Are you sure about that, Alan?" Alan's eyes immediately snapped shut in fear but then snapped open again when his reality changed to the reality that was his miserable fear realised…

_Not good enough Alan……never good enough………it's a good thing Mum wasn't alive to see this…she'd be so ashamed of you……not the others, of course…she'd be proud of them…but not of you…never of you……you'll never be a great Thunderbird like her older sons……they are perfect Thunderbirds…she is so proud of them…but not of you…you'll never be as good as them in anything…you're the shadow Alan…always the shadow……always the shadow………_

Scott's gasped in alarm when tears began to fall from his youngest brother's vacant eyes.

"What are they seeing?" Scott turned back to the Hood.

"They are seeing their fears, Scott," the Hood answered, his eyes not leaving Alan's face, "For Gordon it is the snow that killed his mother and for Alan it is the fear that his mother would not be proud of him now like she is of his older brothers because he is not a good Thunderbird like them-"

"But that's not true!" Virgil cried in shock.

"Not true Virgil? Perhaps…but you and I both know something that is…don't we?" The Hood turned his merciless glare on Virgil. The middle brother cried out in pain.

"No, Virgil!" But Scott could only watch as his brother plummeted back into the suffocating emotions that had plagued him twelve years ago…

_Where am I? Where's Mum? Where's Dad? Where are my brothers? ………oh……they're gone……Mum died, didn't she? …yes…I remember……she's not coming back is she? ...no…how could she? ……I saw that avalanche………Scott…where's Scott? ……yes, he had to look after Alan and Gordon, they needed looking after…Dad couldn't do it and neither could John……so I'm alone again……no one remembered me……I have to stay by myself…they can't see me…they can't hear me……I cry but no one will hear my sobs…or see my tears……I'm all alone__………I want my Mum back…please……don't leave me alone again………_

"What's he seeing?" Scott asked, spinning round to face the Hood again, "**Answer me!**" The Hood smirked again.

"Technically, he can't see anything, just blackness…but what he feels is loneliness, the same way he felt after his mother died…his father and John were too deep in grief to comfort him and you…you naively thought he was coping…then again, you were too busy looking after Alan and Gordon to be worried about him, weren't you?"

Scott stepped back.

The Hood was right…he **had** been too naive to notice Virgil. How could he have believed Virgil was alright? That his middle brother was coping with the grief. He was only eight years old for heaven's sake, how was he supposed to have coped alone? …Had Scott forgotten about Virgil's grief because he had been too busy to grieve himself? Had he assumed that because he could forget the grief then it obviously wasn't that bad?

The Hood turned to face him with a look of amused curiosity.

"Well, well, well, Scott Tracy…I haven't even started on you yet and already your fear has become a reality" The Hood laughed coldly and then glared at Scott, his cold voice emerged from him like black ice…except it wasn't his voice anymore…it wasn't his body anymore……it was someone else's…someone all too familiar……except her skin looked like it was made of wax…her hair flew behind her like she was a raging storm and her eyes flashed with the fire of hatred and disgust……

_You promised me, Scott…when I lay there on that bed I knew I couldn't do it so you promised me you would in my place…I knew your father would be grief stricken so I put all my hope in you……and you let me down………you promised me you would take care of all your brothers……__**all**__ of them……now look at them…Alan has been forever living in your shadow, Gordon has a fear he didn't feel he could ever tell you about, -though he won't admit it- John has isolated himself from everybody…and Virgil…Scott, how could you? …when I left that was when he needed you most and you left him to cope on his own……for those two years after my death he needed you more than he's ever needed anyone in his entire life…and you left him alone, alone to face his grief……_

_You let me down, Scott…I trusted you to look after your brothers and you didn't……I trusted you to be there for them and you weren't……I died believing you would protect them and you haven't…_

"But I tried…I tried so hard to do everything you wanted me to do…to be everything everyone wanted me to be……but I couldn't cope…not on my own……maybe…maybe I didn't try hard enough…maybe I was never strong enough……you're right…I let you down." Scott admitted miserably as his mother's voice, full of cold and heartless scorn, rang in his ears, "I failed…I'm a terrible brother and an even more terrible son…"

_That's not true Scott._

Scott didn't see the Hood jump back in shock and confusion. Scott looked behind him. Again, his mother stood before him but she was different. Her skin held a warm glow and her hair was soft and tidy. Her smile radiated a light through the basement but Scott didn't look around, instead he kept his eyes fixed on her, scared that, if he even blinked, she would disappear and leave him again….

A warmth seem to spread from her to him, almost as if she were wrapping her arms around him…shielding him from the world like she did when he was two years old, before his brothers were born, when it was okay for him to feel vulnerable……

_That voice may have sounded like mine but it was just a physical representation of your fear…… Scott………when I died you were twelve years old…and you had to do what no boy of __that age should ever have to do……I don't hold it against Jeff…or John…for not being there enough…but you had to give up so much to keep the promise that you desperately insisted on making……and I don't blame you for Virgil being alone……you were all alone… you, Virgil, John and Jeff…Gordon and Alan had each other and were too young to understand what was going on……I could see how alone you were Scott, part of me was glad you had Gordon and Alan's care to distract you but that also stopped you from letting it out…you still haven't, even now………it was selfish of me to accept that promise from you…but you have kept it and done a great job of caring for your brothers………Scott…I'm so, so proud of you…I always have been and I always will be……now, you need to get back in control, your brothers need you………goodbye Scott, I love you all, always…_

It was painful to see her disappear but he knew it had to happen. Scott had a job to do, and his mother had faith in him.

Suddenly, it seemed like all his brothers were calling out to him at once.

_Scott, please forgive me for never being as good as you are…_

_I…I can't get out…Scott, please help me……I'm not strong enough on my own…_

Alan sounded guilty and ashamed and it pained Scott to know he felt that way. The eldest Tracy knew that this wasn't just a mild phobia Gordon wasn't experiencing. For the second youngest, and arguably one of the strongest of them, to be truly afraid it had to be a true, deep, penetrating fear.

_Scott…please don't leave me alone…I…I know you have to look after the others but………I'm scared……I don't want to be alone……please Scott………don't leave me…………_

It would have broken Scott's heart to hear those words if he hadn't bravely held it together.

…

Falling apart wouldn't help him now.

He had a job to do and a promise to keep.

His brothers needed him.

…


	10. Fearless Confrontation Pt2

Part 2

_Alan sat alone on his bed. They had just returned from his first rescue since becoming an official Thunderbird and he had rescued hundreds of people from a forest fire, alongside his big brothers._

_When they had finished, Scott had gathered everyone by Thunderbird 1._

"_Great job boys, you all did brilliant today," He told them with a smile, "Now let's get packed up and get these birds home."_

_Back in his room, Alan frowned as he remembered how Scott had said it. It had sounded like Scott was addressing all of them. But he had never looked at Alan, only Gordon and Virgil. Alan suddenly felt ignored._

_The youngest Tracy lay back on his bed. Had Scott purposely ignored him? Was Alan not a good Thunderbird? Had he disappointed his eldest brother?_

_Alan was so deep in thought that he didn't hear the man in question silently enter the room._

"_Hey Sprout…whoa! What's up?" Scott exclaimed when Alan jumped at the sound of his voice._

"_Sorry…I…I was just thinking…" Alan replied quietly._

"_Uh-oh, that sounds dangerous." Scott teased. When Alan gave a weak smile without looking at him, Scott frowned._

"_Alan…is something up? You know you can tell me if there is…" Alan numbly shook his head, his eyes staying on the blank wall ahead of him. Scott wanted to press him, but decided against it._

"_Anyway…I came up to tell you something…Dad and I have been discussing your roll in International Rescue and we've decided-"_

"_I'm sorry! I'm sorry if I let you down today! If I messed up, if I didn't try hard enough, I'll do better next time, I promise!" Alan had spun round to face Scott and was now begging him desperately, "Please Scott! Give me another chance! Don't take my IR badge away! I promise I'll do better next time!" Scott looked completely baffled._

"_What…are…you…talking…about?" He asked quietly, "Did you think that's what I came up here to do?" The relief of that not being the case was suddenly replaced by utter embarrassment. Red flooded Alan's cheeks and he immediately spun back round to try and hide it. His amused older brother pretended not to notice._

"_Well…anyway…what I really came up here to tell you was that Dad and I have decided to list you as the official pilot of Thunderbird 4." He said it calmly and in a matter-of-fact tone. Alan's reaction was quite the opposite._

"_Really?! Pilot of Thunderbird 4?!" Alan gasped in happiness, "That's…I mean…that's just…"_

"_The least of what you deserve after what you did today, you were really brilliant out there……………………_I'm proud of you Alan_."_

_Alan frowned slightly. The last five words had been his brother's voice but Scott's lips hadn't moved. And the words had sounded distant…as if they had come from somewhere far away._

"It's true…I am proud of you Alan……………and I always will be_." Alan didn't know where his brother's voice was coming from but his heart filled pride at the sound of the words…_

Slowly, the scene before him disappeared like the thin morning mist and eventually he was back in the cage. He looked up and saw his brother standing outside, calmly, waiting for him.

"You okay Sprout?" Scott asked him with a hint of a grin. Alan grinned back.

"I'm okay now…thanks Scott." Scott gave him a wink.

_Gordon sat on__ the cold stone floor, holding his legs to his chest and resting his forehead on his knees. He was inside a sort of dome. The snow didn't touch him; it just surrounded him, kept him trapped, latched onto his fear like a net of thorns…slowly dragging him to defeat…to death._

_He could feel the last of his hope slipping away like grains of sand in an hourglass. Gordon knew he could just simply give up. Nothing would be easier……to just lie back and die………_

Gordon…

_Gordon's head didn't lift up yet but his eyes opened._

"Gordon…it's just your fear…" Scott stood outside the cage, calling softly to his brother. Alan looked around for the Hood but couldn't see him anywhere.

_At the mention of the word 'fear' Gordon immediately shut his eyes again._

Gordon, listen to me…touch the snow!

"_I can't!" Gordon cried._

Yes you can Gordon, you're one of the strongest people I know, you **can** do it!

"_But I can't…I…I can't touch it."_

"You can, Gordon, I'm here…I won't let anything happen to you, okay?" Scott softened his tone again, putting all his faith in the strength of his second youngest brother.

_Gordon swallowed nervously and nodded. He moved onto his knees and shuffled towards the snow so he was in reach of it. When he looked at it, to him, it seemed so terrifying, like it would devour his soul if he went any closer. Because of this fear, Gordon hesitated._

Its okay Gordon, take your time, I know you can do it.

_The confident voice partly reassured Gordon. He lifted a trembling hand and swallowed as it edged closer and closer towards the snow._

The shadow that surrounded Gordon's unmoving form seemed to lift a little.

_One more inch…Gordon told himself as his hand kept moving towards the snow._

The shadow lifted even more. Alan still couldn't see the Hood and was becoming increasingly nervous. Scott's calm and reassuring voice continued to guide his brother.

Almost there, Gords, you're almost there……

_With a determined nod, Gordon plunged his fingers through the remaining distance and into the snow. To his surprise, the snow felt warm and calming under his fingertips. It melted outwards from his touch until it had all disappeared…_

The darkness lifted and Gordon saw that he was back in the cage with his eldest brother watching him with a smile.

"It'll be alright now, Gords." Scott assured him. Gordon nodded with a nervous but sincere smile.

"Virgil?" Alan's nervous voice drew their attention. Scott turned to see his middle brother sitting in the corner of the cage with his back on the metal bars. Scott sighed with guilt and then went around the outside of the cage to sit as close to his brother as he could, so that, despite the bars, their shoulders were touching.

Daylight was beginning to pour into the basement through the large tunnel. In the distance, the fighting between the Hood's men and Penny's men could still be heard.

Alan went to sit with Gordon at the opposite side of the cage so that they couldn't hear or see the other two brothers, thus giving Scott the privacy he needed to say what he was going to say.

"I'm sorry, Virg………… I had no idea that you had felt so alone when Mum died………I guess we sort of…drifted apart, didn't we? Ever since you were barely a toddler we had always been close, then when she was gone it was as if those years when she had been there had never happened." Scott spoke softly, tears were beginning to form in his eyes, "What made us close again after those two years? Was it Dad feeling better? John starting to speak again? Or me actually having the time to be with you since I didn't have to look after Gordon and Alan so much anymore? ………I'm so sorry…I………I wish I could turn back the clock……I wish I could make things better…I………I wish I could bring her back……" The tears began to fall and Scott did nothing to hide them. He had finally realised that he needed to let them fall…he needed to grieve…

"I miss her so much…when she died, looking after Gordon and Alan was a distraction from grief, and then International Rescue………when she was in hospital, Dad brought us all to say goodbye, do you remember? You all said goodbye to her in your own ways but I…I…I couldn't," Scott could hear his voice beginning to break, "…so instead I made a promise…I promised her I would look after you boys………I broke that promise…I didn't look after you…or John……sure I made sure you got enough sleep, that you ate all of Onaha's cooking, that you did your homework and kept your grades up…I even went to your parent-teacher conference when you were fourteen…your teacher looked completely baffled." Scott almost smiled at the memory but regret singed his heart.

"Two years isn't a long time to most people…but those two years…they felt like a century……it was over twelve years ago now but the pain of her not being here hurts me just as bad as it did back then……sometimes I wish I had said goodbye…then I wouldn't still be hanging on like I am now………I understand how you felt back then…I felt that way too…I was just too distracted to realise it……………" Scott's tears continued to fall as he sat back in silence.

"But we weren't alone though…" Scott's head snapped round to see his brother facing forwards, his eyes watching the front of the cage. His voice had been quiet but certain.

"I can see that now…we weren't alone……we never have been and we never will be……we have each other, even if we don't always realise it……back when I was alone, I wasn't…you were there…sure you couldn't give me much attention but you were there and that's what mattered…I think John felt the same." A small smile emerged at the corner of Virgil's lips. He turned to face Scott. No more tears were falling.

"I'm sorry Virgil." He said quietly.

"Me too." The middle brother replied. They smiled weakly at each other.

"Scott look out!" Gordon yelled. Scott looked up and ducked just in time to avoid the steel bar aimed at his head.

"You really are becoming a nuisance Scott Tracy!" The Hood's voice seemed to surround them. What had once been arrogant calm was now furious rage. Scott looked around but couldn't find him. He picked up a brick and poised to throw it the moment the Hood appeared.

"**You honestly think that will hit me Scott Tracy?!**" The Hood appeared out of the darkness four metres in front of them. Scott tried to throw but the Hood used his mind powers to grab Scott's throat.

"No!" Alan cried out after seeing the familiar attack.

"Yes Alan, only this time I won't get weaker." The three youngest Tracys could only watch in horror as the Hood began to choke their eldest brother to death.

Scott tried to breath but the Hood was stopping him from reaching the air he so desperately needed.

As tiny glowing lights began to appear in his darkening vision, Scott seemed to thrown back into memories old and new he treasured in the depths of his mind…

"_That was beautiful, Virg"_

"_I knew something was wrong and I was……I thought I might lose you."_

"_This'll sound crazy but I heard your voice…it was almost as if you were calling out to me."_

"…_it still works."_

"_I'm proud of you Alan."_

"_It'll be alright now, Gords…"_

…

"…_we weren't alone……we never have been and we never will be……"_

…

"…_I promised her…"_

"…_I promised I would look after you boys…"_

As he dropped to his knees, the brick still in his hand, Scott thought about his promise.

There was only a glimmer of light left now…the darkness was closing in on him…

But his brothers still needed him.

So even if there was only one tiny spark of strength left in him, that was still enough to hold on to.

Alan looked up and couldn't believe his eyes. The Hood was struggling. He was actually struggling, as if there was another force working against him. When he heard Gordon gasp, Alan looked round and saw his eldest brother. He was lifting himself up…one foot…then the other…he was standing up. He was still visibly struggling but he was winning the battle over control of his body. He gradually lifted his left arm…higher…and higher.

"C'mon Scott…" Virgil whispered. The Hood snarled in fury. Despite his earlier claim, he was getting weaker. Alan watched his movements carefully, waiting for an opening and the right moment to-

"Now!" He yelled to Scott, who, with the last ounce of his strength, hurled the brick at the Hood.

It soared through the air and, with a crack, hit the Hood on his left temple.

As if a sign of his suddenly weakened state, the cage the Hood had created disappeared. The three didn't get up fast enough to grab the Hood before he staggered into the shadows, so they went straight to Scott instead. Virgil tried to get Scott's arm around his shoulders but the eldest insisted he didn't need it.

"Where did he go? …I can't see him…" Alan looked around the immediate area.

"That brick hit him hard, he couldn't have got far." Gordon noted. The four walked into different directions, looking for the Hood behind walls and pillars.

Scott went to the left of the large room. He couldn't see him but was sure the Hood was still there.

The flash of the knife was not enough to warn Scott.

Before he could do anything, he felt the cool sting of the knife slash at his stomach.

He must have cried out in pain because the next thing he felt was Virgil's arms around him. Scott's hand reached to his shirt and he found it warm and soaked with blood.

"Vir-…Virg?" Scott called out weakly.

"I'm here Scott…you're going to be okay…" Virgil was obviously trying to reassure him but he couldn't fool Scott. Not even on Thunderbird 5 six months ago had his brother sounded this scared.

This was bad…really bad.

"Virg…tell John that…I…I'm sorry……I'm sorry that I wasn't there…"

"He won't have held it against you Scott, I never did." Virgil insisted.

"Please…just…tell him…" Scott breathed more than spoke.

"I'll tell him Scott, you hear me? I promise I'll tell him." Virgil told his brother desperately just before Scott's unseeing eyes drifted close……


	11. Epilogue

Epilogue

White…it was so white it hurt his eyes.

But then a shadow blocked the light…two shadows……head shaped……and then they weren't shadows.

They had colour.

Scott tried to focus on the head to the right……blonde hair…tanned skin……

"J-…Johnny?" The head smiled a smile that Scott realised he had missed terribly. He looked at the other head and managed to focus on it's familiar face.

"Virg?" A smile lit up the second face.

"Welcome back to the land of the living." Virgil greeted in his best imitation of Scott's voice.

"Very funny…" The injured eldest smirked.

"How are you feeling?" John asked.

"Like my brain is trying to escape through my ears…" Scott groaned. Virgil laughed.

"Don't worry, that shouldn't take long." The middle Tracy teased. Scott turned to his blonde brother.

"Johnny…please." John immediately punched Virgil's arm, "Thanks." The three brothers laughed together, happy to be in each other's company again after the turmoil of recent months.

"So…what happened?" Scott endured the pain he had gotten used to and pulled himself up slightly, resting on the pillows that John adjusted for him.

"Well……the Hood had a knife, he found you and slashed at your stomach…he cut you pretty badly……you lost a lot of blood…"

"Was the Hood captured?" Scott inquired. Virgil nodded.

"As soon as they saw what had happened, Gordon and Alan jumped him," He explained, "We got you to hospital as fast as we could…the doctors took you straight to surgery…they managed to close up the wound…but you'd lost so much blood already, they weren't sure if you'd last the night……at one point during surgery, your heart stopped………I thought you were going to…" Virgil stopped, unable to say the words. John placed a reassuring hand on his brother's shoulder and continued for him.

"They revived you and then it was touch and go for a while…you were in a coma for four days," John explained to a surprised Scott, "I swapped with Brains so I could come down here with Dad-"

"Dad's here?" Scott interrupted.

"Yeah, of course…Alan, Gordon, Fermat and Tintin too." Scott groaned. Peace and quiet was going to be a rare pleasure from now on.

"Listen, Scott………Virgil told me about what happened…and about what you wanted to say……you've got nothing to be sorry for…it's was my fault, I wasn't alone because people left me, I was alone because I made sure I was……I guess it was just my way of grieving…I'm sorry, I should have told you, I never wanted you to feel guilty……" Scott couldn't meet John's eyes.

"Let's make a pact," Virgil suggested, "If we're ever feeling angry, hurt……alone…then we tell each other and we're completely honest with each other…the three of us can face our problems together…deal?"

John smiled and lifted his fist to a parallel with Scott's shoulder. Virgil put his fist next to John's and finally, Scott lifted arm, forming a triangle. The three of them smiled in silent agreement.

Scott's eyes looked away for a moment and he looked like he was about to tell them something but a series of bangs on the door cut him off. After a few seconds, Alan and Fermat burst into the room.

"Scott! You're awake!" Alan exclaimed.

"Wow! Really?" Scott replied sarcastically. Alan frowned at his older brother's teasing but he couldn't stay mad at him for long. After a moment he wrapped him in a warm hug, careful not to press on his stomach. Virgil and John looked at Scott curiously. Just before the door knocks he had looked sort of…guilty? Virgil looked at John and he nodded. They would have to ask him about it later.

Fermat nervously stepped forward. The young genius was unsure whether he belonged in this brotherly environment.

"H-…Hi…S-S-Scott." Scott smiled warmly at him.

"Hey Fermat, how's it going?" Fermat's face brightened.

"Yeah it's been g-g-g-excellent, I mean, not that it was better with you hur-hur-hur-injured-"

"It's okay Fermat, I understand, I'm glad things are good." Scott said with a laugh, although he winced when the pain hit him.

"Guess I'm gonna have to lay off the jokes for a while." Gordon smirked as he entered the room.

"Not a chance! Wouldn't be the same…and don't you dare quote me on that!" Scott replied with a grin. His grin was mirrored by Gordon who came to give his eldest brother a hug.

"You know you could have done us all a favour and agreed with him Scott." Everyone turned around to see Jeff entering the room, Tintin walking at his side. The young woman immediately moved to the side of the bed and gave Scott her own hug.

"Okay everyone, do you all mind if I speak to Scott alone for a while, please?" They all nodded and began to head out.

"Glad to see you awake big guy, we'll see you later."

"Thanks Gords." Scott smiled. Virgil and John were the last to leave.

"If you need anything-"

"You will be the first to know about it, thanks John." The blonde smiled before following Virgil out of the room.

Once everyone had left, Jeff sat on the chair beside the bed.

"How are you feeling?" He asked his eldest son.

"Not bad, but if it weren't for the drugs they've put me on I'd probably feel a lot worse." Scott replied with a grin. Jeff had no words so silence hung over them like a thick fog.

Finally, Scott couldn't take it anymore.

"I'm sorry!" He blurted out. Jeff looked stunned.

"Sorry? What on earth for?" He asked his guilty looking son.

"If I hadn't got caught then they wouldn't have been able to set the trap and I wouldn't have put my brothers in danger." Scott shut his eyes and turned away. The guilt he had been about to confess to John and Virgil, was now threatening to consume him. It took Jeff a few moments to understand Scott's point of view.

"Scott……trap or not, when that landslide happened it put people in danger, you had not choice but to go…and I know what happened when you and Virgil reached that basement…" Jeff paused for a moment to look at his son's bandaged stomach and leg. The doctors had decided, despite Scott's protests, that he would be in a wheelchair for at least a week and then in crutches for another two weeks after that.

"Virgil made it out of there alive and unhurt because you held back the guards, putting your own life in grave danger to protect him," Jeff continued and then added with a defeated smile, "You and your brothers are all the same, if one of you was in danger, nothing I could say or do would stop the rest of you going in to rescue them…although you ended up rescuing the rescuers……...you've got nothing to be sorry for Scott."

"They did rescue me," Scott said softly, deep in thought, "When the Hood got me with the knife, he wasn't going to stop…he would have killed me…but Alan and Gordon jumped him……and Virgil……Virgil really looked after me out there, always trying to reassure me even though I knew he was scared……yeah…they did rescue me." Scott smiled sleepily. He could feel his father holding his hand.

"You should try and get some sleep," Jeff told him. The Tracy patriarch thought for a moment and then asked-

"Do you mind if I stay?"

"Sure…why?" Scott asked as his eyelids began to slide shut.

"I just want to look after my son." Jeff answered quietly. Scott sighed quietly. John had obviously told their father and everything and, when he thought about it, Scott realised he didn't mind. He liked the idea of his Dad looking after him. He liked it a lot.

"Dad? ..." Jeff Tracy looked to see his son smiling softly with his eyes closed, "……thanks." Jeff smiled at his brave, strong and caring eldest son as he drifted off into a sea of quiet and peaceful slumber.

The End


End file.
